Oscillating lease rod leveling mechanism



July 31, 1951 A. E. WINSLOW 2,562,838

' OSCILLATING LEASE ROD LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l- I 2222922202 flifiefli? E: umzow, by .k Ezmd f'fewwwy fliowne gs July 31, 1951 A. E. WINSLOW 2,562,838

OSCILLATING LEASE ROD LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 11121292 2 E Wirwiaw, by m MMEMWX flioflnqys y 1951 A. E. WINSLOW 2,562,838

OSCILLATING LEASE ROD LEVEL-INC MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 M as Um? JWM July 31, 1951 A. E. WINSLOW OSCILLATING LEASE ROD LEVELING MECHANISM +mwx 4 Sheet 4 Filed A 1' 1950 Patented July 31, 1951 v MECHANISM) Albert Wiiislovw, G'reenvillb, $.02, assienor to J: P; Stevens=& Go. Inc., Greenville, S: 03, acorporation oi 'Delaware Application August 1, 1950,, Serial No.-177-,039

This invention relates to the controii of a: pair of oscillating" lease" rods' in a; loom. It is frequentlydesirable to" provide in a. looma: pair of lease" rods placed in the" warp and mounted to oscillate durinathet operation of: the loomon an axis intermediate or and" parallel' to the lease rods in order to place intermittent tension" on the warps and thus control the placing and pesitioning of the filling in the. woven fabric.

' The strain onxthe warps during such a regulair-oscillation of" the leasero'ds is" momentary; but if the loom he" stopped" with the lease rods outof'level' the-strain is maintained until weav ing isresumedand-is apt to'resultin a'permanent change-in-thewarps and a deleterious effect in the required uniformityofthecloth beingwovenz The object of the invention is to' provide for preventing" undue tension uponor the straining of the warps'by the lease'rods whenthe loom is stopped.

This matter" of preventing undue strain upon the warpslsimpertant because a loom customar-ily stops at or n'earfrontcenter' and this term at front center as herein employed is to be construed as including a position adjacent front center. When a loom thus stops the leaserods are normally left in a position out of level and thus-in: aposition to place strain upon the wa'r-psa The general rule isthat' a shed-of warps shall he as small as=the natureof the work tebe done will allow because the' strain upon awar-p" increases approximately as the square of the spaee passed through in forming the shedl- The lease rods oscillate to= move each lease rod alternately above and below aneutral position; herein referredto" as a level position; where the-lease' rods have' a minimumtension'ing effect ou thewarps andtheir plane is usually" parallel with thewarp line running from the whip roll' to the breast heam of the loom; The object 'of the invention is therefore to bring these "lease-rods tothi's level position coincidently" withthe stopping" of the loom'at' front center; 7

More specifically the invention provides anac tuator, preferably in the form of an eccentric; acting during the operation" of the-'-1oom t0effect the oscillation of the lease rods and means ac'- tuated upon the stopping" of the lo'omat front center to shift this actuator with respect to its operating means to bring'it to a neutral position and thus effect thepositioning of thelease rods in level position and thus prevent maintenance of a deleterious'strain upon the warps while the loom is stopped. The-nature and;- objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying. description and". drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Since" the invention only has to'do with the lease rods ofa loom" andithe means foroperating and controlling the op'eration'of? the lease rods and as the general construction and operation of'a loormso iari'as; this invention is concerned, is well known andfamiliar'to those'skilled in". the art, itis only necessary fora clisclosureof the present invention to illustrate? and describe a preferred embodiment of? the inventions amionly so much of, those portions of a loom as" is necese saryfor the purpose. p

In the drawings:;

Fig. 1 i513; top" plan view; of a portion of one side: of a l'oom equipped with a preferred construction' of the invention;

Fig. 2. is" a" side elevation of" the parts shown in Fig; I;

Fig: 3 is a view principally in vertical transverse section taken" on the line 3--S of Fig; 2;

Fig; 411s a side elevation and partially-broken away of themechanism directly concerned with the oscillation of the'lease rods, showing" them in one. extreme position; 7 Fig: 5' is'a view similar to-Fim rodslin. level position; and

Fig; 6'is another similar view-'showingthe lease rodsin the opposite extreme position irom thatoi Fig; 4. v

Portionsof one'side' irame of a loom are indieated at l, and portions of the opposite side frame at 2i The loom is shown as having the usual main shaft 3 with the hand Wheel 4 and driven fromany suitable source oii power; and also" theusual cam shaft 52 The various means employed in-loomsfor stopping the loom-because of a mis-positioned shuttle, warp breakage, etc., uniformly act to=stopthe loom atonnean front center; when: this takesplace the usual shipper handle 6' found an s-e loom is 'givena sud'den rocking movement on its fulcrum F. While in the" broader scope' of the present inventi'cnany means operated upon thestopping' of the loom at or near iront' center may be employed as the controlling'means, such as'sliipper'l'ever is con:- veniently employed because itis to be found on practicall'y alllooms and has a quick positive movement'whenthe m stops.

'Ihepait-oilase rods 8 and 9 are shown in their usual position" at'the rear of theloonr ex tending between the warps" I These lease rods are shown mounted near each end in clamping loloeks' H' and it provided with clamping" screws 3. These clamping blocks are provided with alined shaft sections I4 and I5. The axis of these shaft sections l4 and I5 extends midway between the lease rods and parallel thereto and the lease rods oscillate on this axis. The shaft section |4 extends into a suitable bearing block I8 mounted on the side frame 2 and the shaft section |5 into a similar bearing block ll mounted on the side frame I. Thesebearing blocks, as indicated in the block H, are preferably provided with suitable ball bearings l8 for the shaft section.

It will thus be seen that by the oscillation of the shaft l4, l5, the lease rods oscillate on an axis intermediate of and parallel to the lease rods and act to place an intermittent tension on the warps. While it is a comparatively simple matter to provide for a regular oscillation of the lease rods any such mechanism will usually shift the lease rods out of level when the loom stops at front center and thus produce an undue strain on the warps and a deleterious effect on the fabric being woven. This difliculty is obviated in the present invention by providing novel means for oscillating the lease rods and so controlling the same that when the loom stops at front center the lease rods are automatically brought to level position where the strain on the warps is at a minimum.

In the preferred form illustrated the invention provides an actuator, such as an eccentric, for oscillating the lease rods and means for shifting the position of this actuator or eccentric upon the stopping of the loom to effect the movement of the lease rods to level position.

The specific mechanism illustrated is chiefly enclosed in a casing l9 secured by bolts to the side frame opposite the end of the shaft section l5. In this casing is journaled a shaft 2| driven during the operation of the loom as by a sprocket chain 22 extending around a sprocket wheel 23 on the cam shaft 5 to a sprocket wheel 24 on the shaft 2|. An idler 25,

supported from the casing l9, serves to keep the sprocket chain taut. A cover 26 extends over the sprocket wheel 24, the idler 25, and a large portion of the sprocket chain and is bolted to the casing l9 at 21.

An eccentric 30 on the thus driven shaft 2| operates a link 3| pivoted at 32 at its upper end to an arm 33 secured to the shaft section l5. Consequently, as the eccentric is rotated the shaft section I5 is oscillated and therewith the lease rods given the required oscillating movement.

Connecting means are provided extending from the driven shaft 2| to this eccentric which act to effect the rotation of the eccentric with the shaft when the shaft is driven during the operation ofthe loom and means are provided for shifting this eccentric rotarily of the shaft to bring it to the position required, in turn to bring the lease rods to level position when the loom is stopped. In the preferred construction illustrated for this purpose the eccentric is journaled on the shaft but not keyed thereto, a gear is mounted on and keyed to the shaft, a second gear is journaled on the shaft and keyed to the eccentric, and a train of gears are provided intermediate these two gears with means for maintaining the gears of said train in fixed position during the operation of the loom to cause the driven shaft to rotate the eccentric. Then when the loom stops at front center means act to effect a change in the relative position of is keyed to the gear 31.

that with the stub shaft 36 in fixed position the gear 34. A gear 38 m'eshing with the gear 35 is also journaled on the stub shaft 36 and Thus it will be seen when the driven shaft 2| is driven that the eccentric will be operated to effect the oscillation of the lease rods.

In the-construction illustrated the stub shaft 36 is mounted in a rocker arm 39 journaled on a hub 40 projecting from the casing l9 concentric with the shaft 2|. This rocker arm at its upper end normally abuts against an adjustable stop 4|, shown as a screw, mounted in the casing l9. If new the rocker arm be swung away from this stop it effects a change in the relative position of the gears of the trainv and acts to shift the eccentric rotarily on the driven shaft. Consequently by properly proportioning the ratioof the gears and the extent of movement of the rocker arm the eccentric may, readily be shifted to a neutral position bringing the lease rods to level position.

Since, as noted, a loom commonly stops at front center suitable means are provided acting upon the stopping of the'loom to effect this change in position of the eccentric and in the preferred construction illustrated, as already noted, the movement of the shipper handle which takes place when the loom is stopped is conveniently utilized for this purpose. A transmitting rod 42, 43, is pivotally connected at its rear end to a projection 44 on the rocker arm 39 and at its front end to the upper arm of a lever 45 fulcrumed at 46 on a bracket 41 mounted on the loom frame Another transmitting rod 48 connects the lower arm of the lever 45 to the lower end of the shipper handle 6. All these connections are made suitably adjustable as illustrated. Consequently, when the shipper handle 6 rocks upon the stopping of the loom, by means of these connections, the rocker arm 38 is swung away from the stop 4|. Since, when the loom stops at front center, the eccentric will be at one or the other of its extreme limits of movement it is necessary to shift the eccentric rotarily on the driven shaft through to bring it to neutral position and effect the leveling of the lease rods. But to swing the rocker arm through 90 is usually inconvenient and consequently the ratio of the gears is made such as to cause the movement of the rocker arm through a much less angle to shift the eccentric through 90. In the construction illustrated the gears 35 and 31 are made of the same diameter, the gears 34 and 38 are of the same diameter, and the latter diameter is about 1% that of the former. With this ratio a swinging movement of the rocker arm 39 away from the stop 4| through an angle of about 45 will shift the eccentric on the shaft 2| through an angle of 90.

It is desirable to lock the rocker arm in its normal position against the stop 4| during the operation of the loom and suitable means are provided for this purpose and are unlocked upon the stopping of the loom. This is conveniently sesured by the construction illustrated in which the section 43 of the transmitting rod telescopes in the section 42, the latter f or that "purpose having adjustably secured thereto a socketed portion '49. A locking element in the form of *a bell crank lever iiilis pivotally mounted at on the section 43 withfitslower .arm having 'a projection'52 fitting into 'anotched element53 mountedatfi i 'on the loom'frame. The upper end "of thisbell crank lever 50 is providedwith a roller 55 opposite a cam "face "56 on the socket 49.

When, therefora'the loom stopsand the'lever fi 'rocked the section 43 M the transmitter ro'd 'acts firstto cam the bell crank lever if! out *of the notched element "5 3 to unlocked positionand then as the "telescoping action takes place the section 42 seats against the end of the section 43 and further movementiswings the rocker arm 39 to the required position.

In Figs. 4 and 6 the elements are shown in the position occupied when the loom is running and consequently the shaft 2| is being driven. In Fig. 4 the eccentric 3G is at the limit of its downward movement, thus raising the lease rod 8 to its uppermost position and the lease rod 9 to its lowermost position. In Fig. 6 the eccentric is at the upper limit of its movement thus lowering the lease rod 8 to its lowermost position and the lease rod 9 to its uppermost position. In Fig. 5 the parts are in the position occupied when the loom has stopped and consequently the shaft 2| is no longer rotating. The transmitter rod 43 has swung the rocker arm 39 away from the stop ll through an angle of substantially 45 and brought the eccentric to neutral position and consequently the lease rods to level position. It will be seen that no matter whether the loom stops with the parts positioned as shown in either Fig. '4 or Fig. 6 the eccentric will be shifted through 90 and brought into a neutral position with the eccentric either in the position shown as in Fig. 5 or in a position directly opposite.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a loom the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, means for oscillating the lease rods on said axis during the operation of the loom, and an element moved when the loom stops at front center acting upon said means to position the lease rods in level position.

2. In a loom the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, an actuator to effect oscillation of the lease rods on said axis, means acting to operate the actuator during the operation of the loom, and means moved when the loom stops at front center acting to shift said actuator with respect to its operating means to position the lease rods in level position.

3. In a loom the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, an eccentric, means for rotating the eccentric during the operation of the loom to effect oscillation of the lease rods on said axis, an element moved when the loom stops at front center acting thereupon to shift the eccentric on its axis of rotation to position the lease rods in level position.

4. In a loom the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, a shaft driven during the operation of the loom, an eccentric journaled on said shaft, means acting upon rotation of the eccentric to effect oscillation of the lease rods on said, axis, =a ro'cker arm mounted concentric the -driven shaft, 1a stub shaft on'sai'd rockerarmextendin'g parallelto thedriven'sha'ft, a gear-'onand'keyedto the driven shaft, a second gear journals-cl on the driven -'shaftand'-keyed to the eccentric, athird gear and a fourth gear keyed together'a nd "journale'd on the stub shaft with the firstand third gears intermeshing and the fourthan'd second gears intermeshing, and'a 'stopengag'ing the rockerarmfthe said elements actinguponroteition of the driven shaftto'rotate the eccentric. p

, "5. In 'afloom the construction defined-and operating'asinclaim'4, together with means acting when the j-loom stops atifrontcenter to swing the rocker arm away from the stop and shift the eccentriconth'e drivmshaft'toposition the lease ro'dsin level position; 1 f ,j g

6. In a loom the-constructiondefinedandoperating as in claim 4, together with an element moved when the loom stops at front center acting to swing the rocker arm away from the stop and shift the eccentric on the driven shaft to position the lease rods in level position.

7. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 4, in which the ratios of the respective gears cause a movement of the rocker arm through an angle of substantially 45 to shift the eccentric through substantially 8. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 4, in which the ratios of the respective gears cause a movement of the rocker arm through an angle of materially less than 90 to shift the eccentric through an angle of 90.

9. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 4, together with means acting when the loom stops at front center to swing the rocker arm away from the stop and shift the eccentric on the driven shaft to position the lease rods in level position, means for looking the rocker arm against movement, and means for unlocking said locking means upon the said stopping of the loom.

10. In a loom the construction defined and. operating as in claim 4, together with an element moved when the loom stops at front center acting to swing the rocker arm away from the stop and shift the eccentric on the driven shaft to position the lease rods in level position, means for locking the rocker arm against movement, and means for unlocking said locking means upon said movement of said element.

11. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 4, together with an element moved when the loom stops at front center acting to swing the rocker arm away from the stop and shift the eccentric on the driven shaft to position the lease rods in level position, in which the said element includes a telescoping rod with one section connected to the rocker arm, a cam on the other section, and a locking element on the first section cooperating with the loom frame to lock the rocker arm against movement, the movement of the rod upon the stopping of the loom acting first to telescope the sections and cause the cam to release the locking element and then to swing the rocker arm.

12. In a m the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, a shaft driven during the operation of the loom, an eccentric journaled on said shaft, means acting upon the rotationof the eccentric to effect oscillation of the lease rods on said axis, a gear on and keyed to the driven shaft, a gear journaled on the driven shaft and keyed to the eccentric, a train of gears intermediate said gears, and means for maintaining the gears of said train in fixed position during the operation of the loom to cause the driven shaft to rotate the eccentric.

13. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 12, together with means acting when the loom stops at front center to effect a change in the relative position of the gears of said train, acting to shift the eccentric on the driven shaft and position the lease rods in level position.

14. In a loom the construction defined and operating as in claim 12, together with a rod moved rectilinearly when the loom stops at front center acting to effect a change in the relative position of the gears of said train, acting to shift the eccentric on the driven shaft and position the lease rods in level position.

15. In a loom the combination of a pair of lease rods mounted to oscillate on an axis intermediate thereof and parallel thereto, a shaft driven during the operation of the loom, an eccentric journaled on said shaft, means acting upon the rotation of the ccentric to effect oscillation of the lease rods on said axis, connecting means extending from the driven shaft to the eccentric acting to rotate the eccentric with the shaft upon rotation of the shaft, and means actuated upon the stopping of the loom at front center acting to operate the connecting means to shift the eccentric rotarily of the shaft.

ALBERT E. WINSLOW.

No references cited. 

